Cat of the Day!!

Oh I am so excited to be chosen as Cat of the Day! This is such an honor. Thank you Catster. I will be sure to not get too excited and risk more heart troubles. BUT excites I am. I was happy to see my mom smile about it as she doesn't smile all that much these days. Thanks to all for celebrating with me today. It means a lot.



Doing the Happy Kitty Dance-
Tristan

Cardiology update

First off I want to thank all of our Catster friends for sending me and my family all the wonderful prezzies. We love them all! Thank you!

Well last week I had my check-up with the cardiologist. It did not go very well. She said that the Atenolol did not do the job she had hoped it would. While we got my heart murmur a little better, it did not eliminate its obstruction. I can't have a larger dose of it because it has slowed my heart rate down a lot. She does not want it any slower. I also lost 1/2 pound in only 2 weeks. So the weight loss continues. I know my mom is sad because she was hoping the meds would help me more. I guess they don't always do their job well.I still have weak femoral pulses too. The doctor said to come back in 4-6 months. That scares Mom as she was told that for both Louis & Ethan and neither one made it back. It seems if the docs there think they are doing some good they have you back more often. But once they have done all they can- you get the long wait. She said she still does have hope though. Meanwhile she is gonna keep spoiling me & giving me all the love I can take. Uh Oh mushy stuff.

Love and purrs,
Tristan

My Cardiology Results

Well the news from the cardiologist was not the best. I have Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy. In most heart murmurs the valve does not shut completely and some blood leaks out. With HOCM my mitral valve is not closing because it is obstructed. What has it obstructed is the thickened heart wall. I was put on Atenolol. The obstruction can be decreased or even eliminated with this med. However the disease itself is not curable. I am in early stages and at the high end of normal for the thickening of the heart walls. The grade of heart murmur is slightly varied but is listed as grade 3/6. My left atrium is not enlarged as Ethan's was. I have weak femoral pulses. So not enough blood is being pumped to my legs due to the murmur. My mom said we will stay positive that I will have many years ahead of me. I go back in 2 weeks to see if we should raise the dose of Atenolol.

My cardiologist said she was very sad about Ethan. She talked to my mom about him some. Then she took me back for my tests. They let me loose in the echo room & I proceeded to nose into everything I could find! I was running about the room & checking everything out. That worried my cardiologist as she said usually if we cats do that then we are not willing to be still for the echo. But she said I was wonderful & cooperated fully!

Everyone there was fussing over me! They said how gorgeous I am. It sure makes your day. When my mom opens the top of my carrier for someone to visit me, I pop my head up like a jack in the box. MOL! I am a very curious boy.

Please send a few more purrs that the med does its job for me. Thanks so much. Thanks to my mom for helping me write this as I haven't much idea what it all means.

Love & purrs,
Tristan

All Bad News

I went to my vet this morning to see about my leg. It is still hurting. He said I have a torn ACL in my left knee. More than Likely I will need surgery to repair it. However before he can do the surgery I have to go see Ethan's cardiologist. My vet (along with the ER vet last month) determined I have a heart murmur. At least a 3 he said. I probably have HCM (Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) as many Ragdolls do. That would explain why I don't eat much and am kind of lethargic. There is no cure for HCM but maybe some meds can help me out. My mom is very upset as she just went through so much heart stuff with my brother Ethan.

I could sure use more purrs if you can spare me some. I go to the cardiologist next Monday. So then we will know more. I will update after that. Wish me luck!

Love & purrs,
Tristan

Tristan Needs Purrs

Hi All,

Tristan's mom here. I can't believe this is all happening. Last week I was carrying in groceries. Tristan always jumps up on the counter to check them out. He tried but he missed and landed on the pet fountain. He was really limping badly on his right leg. It was late & so I elected to keep an eye on him for awhile. His limp got better- not gone but not as bad as at first. I checked him out & nothing on his leg seemed to hurt. I worried it might be his hip or back. The slight limp stayed for the next few days.

Last Wed I was brushing him. Started with the right side as I thought that was his bad side. All went well. I very gently rolled him onto his left side to brush that side. He went nuts screaming & trying to bite me. He never bites so I knew this was bad. He got away & tried to make his way to the kitchen. Mostly he was walking backwards and screaming. He was also having bad problems with the left side which probably always was the bad side. He limps oddly so very hard to be sure. Our vet was closed so I decided to take Tristan to the ER. He was loud in the car but I think some of it was the car ride. It takes forever to get to this ER too. It is the same hospital I took Louis & Ethan to for care. Bad timing with lots of emergencies.

Finally we got in to see a doc. She checked Tristan out real well & did not feel that he had a joint injury. Nor any broken bones. She feels it is a soft tissue injury. I wasn't sure if he actually got hurt on the missed jump to the counter or possibly missed that jump because he was already hurt. So she gave me pain meds & said to watch him- no jumping or running. If he does not improve then we will proceed with x-rays next. I see no improvement yet but he has been back to just a slight limp since we came back from the ER.

The more bad news is she found he has a heart murmur grade 3. :( That is what Ethan started out with. Of course Ethan also had the defect in his heart he was born with too. She said we will keep an eye on Tristan's heart but did not say to see the cardiologist as yet. He has no fever and is eating but he never really eats that well. He's still 12 pounds.

I hope we can handle the heart issue and that his injury will get well without surgery or anything. We would welcome any purrs you can spare.

-Sharon

I'm 2 Years Old Today

I am sure looking forward to my birthday today. I've been pretty sad since Ethan went to the Rainbow Bridge. I will never forget all the fun Ethan & I had on my first birthday. He was one special kitty.

My mom said Ethan would want me to have some fun on this birthday. So I will honor him by having a good birthday. But I will still miss him.

Not much else new around here. My outside animal friends should be coming around more often as the weather warms. We've seen fox tracks in the snow. He comes to eat some chicken my mom puts out for him. He comes at night though so we don't really see him.

Well time to go enjoy being a two year old!

Love & purrs,
Tristan

Fall Happenings

We sure had a pretty Fall in my area. The leaf colors were extra nice and they lasted awhile. We still have some on the trees but most are down now. I love watching the leaves fall off the trees! It's almost like seeing little birds or something go by the window. MOL!

Most of my wildlife friends come in the dark now so I don't get to see them. I do smell the skunk a lot. Eek! I mostly have squirrels, chipmunks and birds to watch of late. It's still fun for sure.

My mom brought in her house plants. She keeps them outside in the Summer. Well this year so far 2 gigantic spiders rode in on the pots. We didn't know we even had spiders this big in the area! Mom freaks out about them and tells me No No when I go to catch one. She is afraid I will get bitten or eat a bad spider. I would love to play with them though. Heehee.

And Halloween is almost here! Make sure you all stay inside that night. Even if you aren't a black cat, you never know who might want to do harm to you. It is the bewitching night and all. Well time to go as I feel a case of the zoomies (running) coming on strong. Wheeeeeeee!

Love & purrs,
Tristan

"Who are you really?"

I have been tagged by purrty Anna.

1) Tell me your funny Christmas story.

Well I've only had one Christmas so far. I loved walking around on the wrapped gifts under the tree like I owned the place. MOL!

2) Where's your favorite hiding place when playing hide and go seek?

I don't usually hide much but I guess it'd be way up high in our new cat tree.

3) What did you dream of being as a young kit?

I'm still a young kit! I dream of being an Orkin man since I love hunting for bugs. Imagine getting paid for it!!!

4) What's your favorite hobby? Anything goes.

Probably bug hunting. Or watching my animal friends out in the yard.

5) Whats your one "bad habit" that you love and your Mom hates?

I'd guess standing & pawing at the big screen TV screen.

6) If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

Out to our barn since I never go outside. I'd like to see what's inside of it.

7) What is your guilty pleasure? Food, skirts and suits or cars? What?

Oh definitely Bonito Flakes!! I love them so much.

8) What is your favorite make believe monster? And yes girls, unicorns and fairies are included. Post a pic of this mysterious beast.

I don't have a pic but would have to say it is a dragon. Not too sure why but they just seem kewl.

9) What is the one dreaded thing you have to do at home? Babysitting, taking baths, entertaining guests....what is your dread?

I don't hafta do much that I don't wanna do.....but keeping tabs on what everyone is doing all the time gets tiring. I just don't like anything done without having a paw in it. So I am busy, busy, busy. *sigh*

10) I’m not so sure if Zach and Zoe are going to have coed ships this year or not, but in any case, which ship would you want to be on: Zach’s, or Zoe’s?

They are both very kewl but I am unsure of the ship event?!? I'd be honored to be with either one of them.

I tag any cat friends reading this that have not yet done it! It's fun.

Love & purrs,
Tristan

A New Yard Friend

I've been telling you about all my wild friends outside in the yard. I got a new one last night! He's a possum. He's very cute in an ugly sort of way. MOL! Oh and I know some of you were telling me not to be friends with the skunk. Nut I was thinking that it might be worse to not be friends with him if ya get my drift. Heehee. I don't like his cologne much but feel better if he and I are on the same side. I know all of those guys can be mean if bothered but I just like to watch them. I won't bother anybody. (Much!)

I guess the hot streak is finally gone. It's been really nice for temps here. Plenty of rain so everything is green and lush. Lots of crickets to listen to at night. They can be so loud. Fall is not far off and I like that season too. I am not too fond of what follows it though! Well except for Christmas of course.

Ethan & I still place ice hockey every night with ice cubes. It sure is fun. He's taken his hobby of boa carrying back up too. He hauls a red one and a black one to Mom now. That keeps him busy.

I keep busy too with running and running. I am so fast! I don't like walking- just running. Well I had better go see if any of my yard friends are here. I'd hate to miss out on anything. Yikes!

Love & purrs,
Tristan

A Stinky Friend

We've been telling you about all our wildlife here. I do feel they are all my friends. I am a friendly dood after all. :) Last night we were checking to see if anyone had come for some food we put out. Well there was a cute lil skunk eating bread! My dad said he had seen him around before but my mom had not. Ethan said he probably stinks!! So I guess now I have a stinky friend who is really cute. MOL!

Love & purrs,
Tristan